What else happened at Ogeechee meeting

Few public issues ignite the same kind of passion people feel about the Ogeechee River.

Last night at Effingham High, more than 150 people came out to a hearing about the proposed $1 million consent order state regulators have drawn up with river polluter King America Finishing. Most of them are still hopping mad, almost two years after the May 2011 fish kill. Many reported that they're still seeing the effects of pollution in the river in the form of fewer fish and other animals. Many still won't swim or fish in the river.

Environmental Protection Division representatives were there to listen, and they got an earful. Only two people spoke in favor of the terms of the consent order. They were both from Millen, which is earmarked for a $75,000 waste water upgrade if the consent order goes through. It looks sort of like a pollution trading scheme, where KAF pays to clean up water elsewhere on the river. Trouble is, the Millen plant is 19 miles above KAF's discharge. That had some speakers scratching their heads. Why not have KAF spend the money to clean up their own discharge better was the question.

Nobody from Georgia Southern spoke, although the university stands to gain about $800,000 from the deal for a research project that's yet to be spelled out. The EPD says the details are due 30 days after the consent order is approved. That makes it impossible for the public to evaluate the plan. Bob Young, of the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, finds it strange. After the hearing he likened it to giving a car salesman a check before he tells you what kind of car you’re buying.

Back in May, Young's Augusta-based group proposed an alternative study, including real-time monitoring of the river that would be publicly accessible. They learned only recently that EPD never incorporated their proposal into the KAF files, Young said.

Besides a verbally hostile crowd, other things didn't go well for the EPD Tuesday evening. Their microphone came apart for the second speaker, though it was subsequently put back together, and the court reporter didn't show up until about 45 minutes into the hearing.

At one point while Ogeechee Riverkeeper attorney Don Stack was speaking, the whole crowd seemed to turn on the EPD, not that they were especially friendly to the regulators before that. EPD assistant director Jim Ussery told Stack his three-minute comment period was up. The crowd erupted into shouts along the lines of "Let him speak" and "Who do you work for anyway?" Stack called for adherence to the rules and asked for other speakers to donate their time to him, which a bunch did immediately.

Before the meeting Stack commented that it would be like Groundhog Day, the Bill Murray movie where the main character keeps waking up to the same day to re-enact over and over. Stack did have to repeat arguments he's made numerous times before, mainly that KAF doesn't have a permit to discharge into the Ogeechee from its fire retardant line and thus has been for almost seven years and remains in violation of the Clean Water Act.